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Baltimore leaders explore additional recreation options for city

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Updated: 7:41 AM EDT Sep 7, 2015

One of the city's most successful recreation programs wrapped up this weekend. The Night Hoops program started last summer with the goal of curbing violence among the city's youth. On Sunday night, the league's championship game was played in front of a packed crowd. With the success of the program, city leaders said they are examining different options to help improve access to recreational activities across Baltimore.

Baltimore leaders explore additional recreation options for city

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Updated: 7:41 AM EDT Sep 7, 2015

BALTIMORE —

One of the city's most successful recreation programs wrapped up this weekend.

The Night Hoops basketball program started last summer with the aim of curbing violence among the city's youth.

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On Sunday night, the league's championship game was played in front of a packed crowd. Players battled for bragging rights in Baltimore's Night Hoops championship game. The event was like a festival with a marching band, DJ, and other entertainment.

City leaders were pleased with the turnout, and said that they want to create more opportunities for kids and teens to do something positive.

The more people on the court, and in the stands, the better, city leaders said.

"I'm looking to figure out how to make it bigger and better," Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott said. "We've got to get it from two sites to four sites. We have to get more kids involved. We have to get more people watching because anytime you have these young people doing something positive they're not doing something negative."

This year's violent summer has put the city's recreation centers under the microscope. Residents have complained that closed and aging facilities leave kids and teens with too much idle time.

"l'm working very hard to expand our recreation center opportunities to build new recreation centers," Rawlings-Blake said. "We're going to break ground on two this year.

Rawlings-Blake wants to invest $136 million in the city's rec centers and pool facilities. The city operates 40 rec centers, and under the plan, none would close.

The mayor was fitness and wellness centers to be built at existing, or new sites, adding a total of more than 299,000 square feet of new recreation space. Under the mayor's plan, the Druid Hill Park pool would be converted to a water park, at a cost of $6 million while four existing outdoor pools would be upgraded.

"A lot of people say they support it but until there's a hearing," Rawlings-Blake said. "But, until the bill moves forward, we can't do anything with that support.

Other city leaders agree there's a need for more rec centers, but want to explore other funding sources, which could include the sale of the city-owned Hilton Hotel.

"l support city garages," Scott said. "I think we should look at the Hilton Hotel. I think we should look at other assets that the city owns that citizens don't think we should be in the business of. "We should look at the park in Baltimore County that we own (Robert E. Lee Park) that we just had to rename. We should be looking at all different kind of assets to fund this."